Chapter Nine: Marry Me? There's a Condition

Author's Note: Well, I initially thought this story would be a light read with a hint of romance, but I discovered that my standards are somewhat high and my thresholds quite low, which might disappoint everyone. I truly apologize for that. :)

I opened my eyes to see Feiyang doing something—why was he tearing at my sleeve?

Then, a sharp pain shot through my left arm again, and blood gushed out, but it was not bright red; it was dark and murky. Could the Fenshui needle be poisonous? No wonder I hadn't felt any pain for half a day. But at first, the blood was bright red, right?

"Hang in there, Meng'er."

Feiyang swiftly drew a small portion of blood from the wound in my arm, sucking out the poisonous blood and spitting it out, taking a long time for the blood to revert to its normal bright red. Then, he quickly pressed several acupoints on my upper arm and produced a small bottle from God-knows-where, pouring a lot of wound medicine onto the cut, causing me to wince in pain.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Tears filled my eyes from the pain, and I was unable to respond, only able to nod.

"Well, the leader of the Seven Fish of Jianghai is notoriously known as the 'Carp Over Dragon Gate'—he's a ruthless man known for his high martial arts and cruel schemes. The poison on that Fenshui needle has two layers; initially, it causes bright red blood, leading people to think there's no poison, not realizing that the needle retains the poison within the flesh, which must be cut out."

Saying this, Feiyang tore a strip from his inner garment to bandage the wound on my arm and then looked into my eyes, saying, "This Jianghu is truly unstable, Meng'er. Please don't sulk at me anymore, okay? If I don't have my life to sacrifice next time for you, it would be hard for me to rest assured leaving you alone in the Jianghu."

I softly replied, "Mm. It's my fault, Feiyang. I don't want you to die; I just want you to like me and care for me."

He let go of my arm and embraced me, softly saying, "I like you, Meng'er. Of course, I like you and care for you."

I leaned into his embrace, a strange feeling swelling in my heart.

Aside from Wujiao and my master, I had never paid attention to anyone else's words. Even with my master, I would usually disregard him, slacking off or sleeping when I wanted to. If my master forced me too much, I would either run back to Kunlun or follow Wujiao to the human realm, and my master could do nothing about it.

Yet, why was it that I was listening to Feiyang? Suddenly, I remembered that the reason I had put on a show tonight was because Feiyang had said he didn't like me using illusions to make money from shopkeepers. When did I, a carefree spirit, start becoming so obedient?

Who cares? The Feiyang in front of me made me feel a bit fond of him. I gently exhaled my pent-up frustration, resting my head on his chest. He held me quietly, and we didn't speak, gazing at the long candle on the table, which suddenly erupted into a shower of candlelight. Wujiao, this is a joyful bloom.

Half a month later, we arrived in Lin'an.

Wujiao usually goes to the human realm for sightseeing, and West Lake is one of the places he frequents most; thus, it is also one of the places I am most familiar with in the human realm.

On this journey, Feiyang and I shared the same room and bed, reminiscent of the times I spent with Wujiao, where I would sleep peacefully in his embrace, feeling warmth and safety. Like Wujiao, Feiyang often caressed my skin and occasionally brushed my cheek before settling back to sleep. The only difference was that although Feiyang's breathing was gentle and even, it couldn't compare to the complete silence of Wujiao's slumber. However, it still gave me a sense of reality; even if I wasn't in his arms, knowing he was beside me would suffice.

Could this blissful time mean I had finally repaid my debts? I faintly realized that my current fondness for Feiyang probably stemmed from his similarities to Wujiao. I wanted to cling to him for comfort, most likely due to the effect of the Hehe Dan. However, I had always avoided thinking about unhappy matters. I would occasionally feel sentimental when I thought of Wujiao, but I would never consider how to use the Hehe Dan or what would happen if I didn't use it.

Whenever I thought about Feiyang possibly going back to Kunlun with me to face Wujiao, my heart would panic, unsure of how to deal with it. Feiyang is great, and I didn't want to make him sad, but Wujiao would always be the only person in my heart. I would rather die than hurt Wujiao's feelings.

Fortunately, I knew that overthinking was futile. Since I had no way out, it was better not to think. Who knows what might happen in this short hundred years? Perhaps I might not even survive this mortal tribulation and would reincarnate, never making it back to Kunlun.

After arriving in Lin'an, Feiyang and Chuyu first escorted Yuanxi back to the palace. However, after leaving the palace, Feiyang did not take me to their so-called Mengpo Gate. Instead, Feiyang instructed Chuyu to return to Mengpo Gate, saying that I had never been to such a bustling place and wanted to take me around. Chuyu complied and left, glancing at us with a somewhat unusual joy as if relieved of a heavy burden.

That girl is quite interesting.

I had been to Lin'an too many times and was even more familiar with its streets and alleys than he was, particularly around the side near West Lake, which had hardly changed in a hundred years. The only unfamiliar aspect was the newly opened teahouses and taverns. This day, Feiyang took me to a place called Hanfeng Lou, ordering a plethora of dishes I couldn't even name, claiming he felt guilty for having fed me simple Yangchun noodles for so long.

Seated on the second floor of Hanfeng Lou, I gazed out at the row of blue eaves like peaks and sampled each dish one by one while thinking that Feiyang's taste couldn't compare to Wujiao's.

I remembered when Wujiao took me to that pavilion by the water, where I could see an entire lake of lotus flowers framed by the curtains of hanging willows. The breeze would stir the willows, creating waves of fresh lotus fragrance that wafted into the pavilion, filling it with light elegance.

Eating there, even a cup of tea tasted like fine wine.

Of course, the dishes Feiyang ordered were more entertaining. He had chicken, duck, fish, and shrimp, but he didn't eat much, and I only sampled one or two bites. Interestingly, the shrimp were said to be drunken in wine and placed in a jar; once uncovered and exposed to the air, they began to wake up, bouncing out one after another. I took my chopsticks to catch them as they jumped out, and I laughed with delight, while Feiyang looked on, amused.

After some fun, Feiyang took me around the city, claiming he wanted to buy me something. His route was rather peculiar, weaving through various shops and entering and exiting different doors. Even when we reached the end of an alley, he picked me up and leaped over.

Eventually, we landed at an old little courtyard. The door was small, and a narrow alley that was too tight for two people to walk side by side twisted and turned toward the back street. Besides that, all around were other people's courtyards, leaving this little courtyard nestled in the center.

I stood in the middle of the house, frowning, "Feiyang, it's so dirty here, all dust."

"I hardly ever stay here. Besides, I had no idea one day I would marry a snow-white raccoon-cat as my wife," he said, tearing off his long garment to reveal a narrow-sleeved shirt underneath. "The advantage of this courtyard is that it has everything. There's a well; let me help you clean up, okay?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "I've told you, I'm not a raccoon-cat; I'm a Wenli, and a Wenli is a divine beast. Racoon-cats would have run away after seeing me. Second, I'm not snow-white; you've forgotten my fur is the color of water, a shade of blue. But, Feiyang," I furrowed my brow again, feeling embarrassed, "what does cleaning entail? I… I can't clean a house. My house, my master's house, and Wujiao's cave all have servants."

Feiyang looked surprised, staring at me for a moment before bursting into laughter, as if recalling something, laughing for quite a while before saying, "I can clean up, but Meng'er, you are really going to marry me, right?"

"Mm. Who told you to eat the Hehe Dan with me while I was unconscious?" 

"So are you going to marry me or not?"

I lowered my head, biting my lip, "I will marry."

Feiyang was still laughing, "If you marry me, then I have a condition."

"A condition? What more do you want?" I pouted, feeling somewhat wronged.

Feiyang looked at me for a moment with a mischievous grin before saying, "We mortals call this place home, and in that home, I like to see my Meng'er as she was the first time we met."

So that night, as he desired, I happily returned to my original form, conjuring only a veil of fabric that partially concealed my snow-like skin. Then, I lazily leaned against the table, pouring a drink to accompany him.

I couldn't tell if it was Feiyang's calmness that had waned, but his gaze on me grew increasingly suggestive, and he became increasingly distracted while drinking, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he sighed several times but didn't speak, merely pulling me close.

As the night grew late, I felt drowsy and leaned into his arms, "Feiyang, let's sleep. I love sleeping. If you want me to keep you company while drinking, you should hold me to sleep instead. I like the smell on you."

Feiyang held me with one arm and lifted his wine glass with the other, drinking it all in one gulp.

"Meng'er, don't rush to sleep just yet. I have something to tell you."

I covered my mouth with a yawn, "Let's talk tomorrow. We have ages ahead of us. This mortal tribulation could last a hundred years. If you're willing to come with me to Kunlun, we will almost be immortal. Let's talk tomorrow, okay? I'm so sleepy, I just want to sleep in Feiyang's arms..."

Feiyang sighed, steadying my shoulders to ensure I was sitting upright, and looked into my eyes, saying, "Meng'er, your mortal tribulation won't be so simple. Not to mention whether we can reach Kunlun and how to get there, just finding a way to go to Shaohua Mountain to see your Wujiao's inscription isn't easy at all. Don't you notice I haven't mentioned the Mingyue Yubi to my elder brother at all?"

Upon hearing about Wujiao and the Yubi, my drowsiness vanished, "That's right, Feiyang, you said you accidentally lost the Yubi, right?"

"Indeed, but later I never heard my brother ask me how I lost it."

I suddenly recalled how Feiyang led me to this courtyard, a cold shiver running down my spine. "Feiyang, are you saying your elder brother would…"

Feiyang gazed into my eyes, his expression turning somewhat bittersweet, "My brother has never treated anyone so kindly, except for you."

"For me?"

"My brother is an orphan, and among all the people in this world who can call him Yuanxi, you are probably the only one. At least, that's what he personally allowed you to call him."

I was still somewhat confused. Wujiao was an immortal; I addressed him by name, and I offered him face by calling him Meng'er.

Noticing my bewilderment, Feiyang saw right through it. He sighed, "I hope I'm not judging a gentleman's heart with a villain's measure. But Meng'er, you absolutely cannot tell anyone the Mingyue Yubi is with you. I think it was originally meant for you by that immortal, but right now, you have no means to defend yourself. In the Jianghu, it's always been that 'A commoner is guilty along with a treasure,' so it's best to avoid unnecessary troubles. Once I handle the matters of Mengpo Gate, I'll resign from my position to my elder brother, and then we can go together to Shaohua Mountain to apologize."

I stared at him blankly, feeling that this matter was not so simple, "Feiyang, can you really leave? Your Mengpo Gate seems to have a huge influence; it can't be easy for you to manage such a large sect."